1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to learning music through playing a musical computer or video game, and more specifically the invention provides a method for learning to play various musical instruments by providing real-time visual or auditory feedback.
2. Discussion to the State of the Art
Video games have become a major source of recreation especially for young people all across the globe. These games have showcased the amazing facility of the human brain and have led to new levels of dexterity in hand-eye coordination. More recently games that incorporate music, such as Guitar Hero™ and Dance Dance Revolution™, have taken the world by storm and demonstrated the widespread human desire to make music. Karaoke is another example of the great desire that so many people have to perform music. Although the majority of humanity seems to dream of being skilled at the art of making music, very few ever invest the time and resources necessary to actually become proficient. Games like Guitar Hero™ involve the participant in the music but actually do nothing to teach the gamer how to make real music. The mock guitar used in this game has no strings and does not attempt to teach hand placement. The Guitar Hero™ player merely taps on the appropriate colored fret button to match the color flashed on the screen. There is no real music notation to follow and learn from. Thus an expert Guitar Hero™ player is no better. Synthesia™ and Keyboard Mania™ are piano games that guide fingering and tempo by using scrolling colored bars. Another product currently on the market is Piano Wizard™. This game also starts with scrolling colors coded to the keys on a keyboard and progresses to colored notes and then makes the more difficult progression to standard notation. Piano Wizard™ quickly steers the user into traditional notation and its stumbling blocks. None of these products begin with real music notation and with the exception of Piano Wizard™ the intent is not to teach notation but to give the user an easier method of making music on a specialized keyboard. This does not allow the user to go to a real musical instrument and play without the scrolling colors and flashes associated with the video game.
The challenges associated with learning traditional music theory and notation provide a great roadblock that keeps many people from ever achieving their built in desire to make music. Learning to play a musical instrument is difficult from the get-go. The music notation itself is laden with theory and unnecessary cognitive barriers. Traditionally one must understand the notation and proper hand placement before even the simplest written music can be pleasing to the ears. People quickly lose interest as they see the hard work and time involved in learning just to play at a very basic level. Before the advent of digital in home entertainment it was not uncommon for individuals to spend a great deal of their leisure time practicing and studying piano or other musical instruments. In our fast paced digital world the vast majority of would be young musicians would, when given the choice, use their leisure time watching television or playing video games rather than going through the more rigorous discipline of learning to read notation, music theory and proper hand placement on an actual musical instrument.
One aim of this invention is to provide an alternative learning style that combines the fun and entertainment of modern video games with the teaching of specifics like actual finger placement, rhythm, timing and sight reading of notation. Not only would a user have fun playing the game, but she would also be able to develop skills that can be used on a real instrument; an aim of the invention is to enable the user to play real music, on real musical instruments, reading real notation. The invention also aims to make this learning fun and entertaining, so much so that a user could see it as a video game competition that draws on one's inner desire to make music. This is in contrast to the hard work of learning standard music notation and theory that is normally required before one is able to make music that actually sounds pleasant. Klavarskribo is an alternative music notation that was introduced in 1931 by Dutch inventor Cornelis Pot. Klavarskribo differs from conventional music notation in a number of ways and is intended to be easily readable. The stave on which the notes are written is vertical so the music is read from top to bottom. On this stave each note has its own individual position, low notes on the left and high notes on the right as on the piano. This stave consists of groups of two and three vertical lines. These lines correspond to the black notes of the piano keyboard. Black notes are written on the five black lines and white notes are written in the seven white spaces between the lines. Therefore sharps and flats are no longer needed, as each note has its own place in the octave. The evident correspondence between the stave and a piano induced Pot to use the name Klavarskribo. The Klavarskribo notation is a universal notation which can be used for all instruments and for singing, but it is at its greatest advantage with instruments where a number of notes have to be played simultaneously.
With Klavarskribo notation duration and rhythm are shown graphically. A piece of music is divided in bars of equal length, which are subdivided into “counts” or beats. Short horizontal bar lines show the division between the bars, dotted lines indicate the counts. All notes are provided with stems (stems to the right: play with the right hand, stems to the left: left hand). These are placed so as to indicate in the measuring system exactly when a note must be played or sung. A note always lasts till the next one of the same hand or part appears, unless a stop sign or continuation dot is used. Therefore there is no connection between shape or color of a note and the duration of a note. The various kinds of ‘rest’ signs, different note heads, tied notes and different clefs are thus rendered unnecessary. The Klavarskribo notation uses one clef: the center of the keyboard is indicated by making the lines representing C# above middle C and the adjacent D# as dotted lines, so middle C can easily be located. There are no different clefs for the left and the right hand. The Klavarskribo notation enables the player to see clearly, after a short explanation, how the notation ‘works’, so that a beginner can start playing immediately. The player can see exactly which note or chord to play and which hand to use.
Klavarskribo notated pieces are readily available. The Klavarskribo Foundation has transcribed over 25,000 pieces and provides catalogues for the instruments piano, reed organ, accordion, (orchestra), electronic organ, keyboard and guitar. Klavarskribo is not only for beginners; even difficult pieces by Chopin and Liszt are available in the Klavarskribo notation. KlavarScript™ is a PC-based software program that enables music in the traditional notation to be transcribed to the Klavarskribo notation through midi files or after scanning it in or playing it in through an electronic keyboard.
Currently there exists an industry standard referred to as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). The MIDI standard enables electronic musical instruments such as keyboards, computers and other electronic equipment to communicate, control and synchronize with each other. MIDI allows individual components to exchange system data. For example, a MIDI-enabled keyboard transmits event messages such as the pitch and intensity of musical notes to play, control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato, and panning, cues, and clock signals to set the tempo. As an electronic protocol, MIDI has achieved widespread adoption throughout the industry. MIDI is common to most computers, cell phones and many electronic products from companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Nokia, Sony, Yamaha and hundreds more consumer products companies.
The technology that allows a multitude of electronic products to communicate and work together in concert is in place now within most homes. Devices are available using digital signal processors that can transmit voice or any musical instrument in MIDI format. Touch sensor technology can transmit electronic signals that communicate things such as pressure and spatial relationships. Broad band internet communications are now the in home standard and enable multiple users to hook up together on line and compete in high tech video games on their personal computers. This ability to network online with others of similar interests only enhances the video game experience. Video and audio files can be easily created and shared allowing users to share their creations and performances. Computers can assess and grade the accuracy of how a notated music piece is played with instant feedback to the user. In short there exists a myriad of technologies today that can enhance and encourage the video game experience. By linking this rich gamer experience and the built in human desire to create music with actual music instruction it becomes easy to put in the actual practice time required to develop real musical talent. The invention forges a powerful connection between the hands and eyes and enables people to experience joy in their own power to make music.